Thicker Than Water
by PhantomBella
Summary: Tala just wants to protect her younger sister; the only family she has left. But what happens when she get caught up in a war that goes far beyond the austere and lovely boundaries she once knew?


A/N: Oh dear, here I go again. I wrote this chapter today for fun, but I don't know if I will make it into a story or not. I might eventually, but I'm going to be very busy in the next few weeks. If I do go somewhere with this soon, I don't think I will update this one as frequently as my other story, Defying Fate (which you should totally check out if you've played Assassin's Creed! –winks-) Anyway, I hope you enjoy this!

Disclaimer: I do not own Oblivion, or The Sight.

-Chapter 1-

"I am losing my strength, Larka. Soon I will be unable to summon you to visit me," I thought. Larka whined quietly, her sad song echoing through the dark corridors of my prison. I stroked the fur of the white wolf absently. She licked my hand gently, and I smiled at her weakly.

"You mustn't lose faith, Tala," Larka said to me through our mental connection. The corners of my lips turned up a little more convincingly, but not without great effort.

"But I have such little faith left already. How could one believe in the Nine when they are trapped in a place such as this?" I asked dejectedly.

"Who do you think gave you the power of the Sight?" Larka reminded me. My smile brightened slightly as I remembered the day I had rescued Larka on the edge of the Great Forest from a band of traveling crooks. Kynareth had spoken to me that day, and entwined Larka's destiny with my own.

"But they have forsaken me now, and I never once strayed from their path," I complained. Larka looked at me strangely, surprised by my resignation to death in the pit of this prison. I stroked her pure white fur lovingly, not wanting her to worry.

"Don't worry Larka, one day I will be free again and I will hunt with you and we'll protect little Ariana," I said. Something about the words seemed fake to me, but Larka was satisfied enough. After giving my face one last affectionate lick, the wolf disappeared from the cell.

"Not hiding behind your filthy beast anymore, I see," Valen's voice oozed from the cell facing mine. "Without their lackeys, Bretons are nothing," Valen said, spitting out the last word and pausing for a moment to enjoy it, as if the remark was sweet on his tongue like candy.

"I'm not in the mood today, Dunmer. You wouldn't want to anger me further; do not forget that I can summon any daedra I choose to kill you in your cell," I retorted darkly. The threat was empty, I knew, but hopefully it would shut the Dunmer's mouth for a while until he could think of a comeback.

"And send you to an earlier death, no doubt," Valen said haughtily, after a few moments.

I rolled my eyes and conjured a glowing ball to toss around the cell to alleviate my boredom. After throwing and catching the large ball a few times, I held it in my hand and made it shrink so it would be small enough to go through the bars. I wound it up, and was about to throw it at Valen's head, when I heard murmurs coming from around the corner. After extinguishing the glowing light, I withdrew to the dark corners of my cell and strained my ears to listen.

"My sons, are they dead?" came an ancient voice.

A woman's gruff voice answered. "Of that we cannot be certain. The messenger only told us that they had been attacked-"

"Then they're dead. I'm certain of it," the wise of voice cut her off stoically.

The sounds of armored boots echoed through the halls as a trio, masked by the shadows, approached my cell. I subconsciously pressed myself closer to the wall, my eyes wild with fear. Clinking noises reached my ears; a key being turned, and then a rusty gate protesting shrilly as it was swung open.

"What is this filthy prisoner doing here? This cell is supposed to be off limits!" the woman shouted furiously. Her blue eyes were livid, and I withdrew further into the shadows.

"It's just the usual mix-up with the watch I'm sure, ma'am," a Redguard said nervously. He, the woman, and another soldier were clad in thick metal armor with swords swinging menacingly at their belts. They all stepped into the light, causing their fine armor to glitter dangerously. Behind them stood a cloaked man, who also stepped forward.

My breath caught in my throat. I was looking upon the aged face of Uriel Septim, the great Emperor of Cyrodiil. I clumsily fell forward onto my knees and bowed before the powerful leader.

"Please, stand. I would look into the eyes of one of my subjects, especially one so respectful," Uriel said kindly. I stood shakily and stepped into the light, and trained my gray eyes confidently on his blue ones.

"You!" Uriel gasped. I stepped back, and sensed the bodyguards reach for their swords. The Emperor held up his hand to calm them, and continued. "I've seen you before, in my dreams!"

I looked up at him questioningly, afraid to speak to one so mighty.

"Young Breton, I am not certain why you are here. But I do know that the Nine brought us here together by fate, and I would not have you harmed," Uriel said, looking at his guardians sharply.

The woman sighed and pressed something in against the wall to my right, and to my astonishment, a large passageway opened before me. A great cloud of dust rose in the cell, causing me to cough violently. When I recovered, the Emperor and two of the guards had disappeared through the passage.

"Just stay out of the way, prisoner," the last guard said before he turned on his heels and jogged through the opening to catch up with his team.

"Goodbye, Valen," I cooed through the bars. He growled, and I winked and giggled in amusement before following the group into the darkness.

I suddenly felt quite alone and afraid as I walked through the dark corridor. My eyes had adjusted to the darkness over the past few years in the prison, but the dimness of my cell was nothing compared to the black void of the passage. I threw my head back and howled, though no one but Larka would hear it. The white wolf appeared after a few moments, snarling in disorientation at our surroundings.

"What is this?" Larka asked as she padded around the hall. I pressed on after the guards, and she followed me swiftly.

"I think it's a way out," I explained. Larka yipped in excitement, and we both broke into a jog.

The dark hole passed into a dimly lit underground temple. I caught sight of the guards just ahead of us, and slowed to a wary walk. Their swords were drawn, and they formed a tight circle around their leader.

Suddenly, a great explosion echoed through the room, and the warriors shouted. From the swirling dust came the sound of swords clashing and warriors cursing. I buried my head in Larka's thick fur in fear, waiting for the violence to end. Deathly silence soon fell over the room, and I uncovered my eyes to see what was happening.

Three men in red armor lay dead, and one of the guards had fallen too. I instantly recognized it to be the woman who had called me filthy. Though I had resented her in the cell, I pitied her cruel fate now.

She left behind her a bloody katana, which I grabbed from the corpse and hung at my waist. Beside her body was an unlit torch, which I took and ignited with a small burst of fire from my fingertips. The fire crackled to life before me, shedding light on the remnants of the battle in the room.

The remaining group stopped at a door, and I hurried to catch up with them.

"Where did this wolf come from? What sort of power do you have?!" one of the guards exclaimed as I reached them.

"Peace, Glenroy. This young woman will not hurt us," Uriel said. The guard who had spoken was pacified at the command of his leader, and I resisted the urge to smirk at him. "Where is Captain Renault?"

"Dead, sir," the Redguard answered. I shuddered as I pictured her lifeless form in my mind.

"That is unfortunate. She was a powerful Blade," Uriel lamented.

_Blades?_ I thought. _The guardians of the Emperor. What is going on here?_

"What is your name, child?" Uriel asked, his wrinkled face glowing in the dim light.

"Tala Leclair, Your Majesty," I replied.

"A fitting name, for one so clever and bold," the Emperor smiled solemnly.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," I bowed.

"Sir, we really must be going," the one called Glenroy said. He indicated an open passage. Uriel nodded and swept through the door with the Redguard at his side. I tried to follow, but Glenroy blocked my passage.

"This is as far as you go, prisoner. You'll have to find another way out," Glenroy barked unkindly. My face fell as he locked the door and left me behind.

"What now, Larka?" I asked.

"We go through the catacombs. I can smell dangerous creatures in there, but we will fight together to reach the light," the wolf thought encouragingly. I nodded, and slipped into the dark network of caves beneath the Imperial City, ready to face anything.

A/N: Review please!


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